NEWS ARCHIVE

8 years later: Remembering an EF-3 tornado that tore through part of High Point

8 years later: Remembering an EF-3 tornado that tore through part of High Point

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Updated: 4:21 PM EDT Mar 28, 2018

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WEBVTT NICOLE: EIGHT YEARS AGO TODAY ANJARRED: TODAY, WE SPOKE TO A MANHE AND HIS WIFE WERE CROUCHED INNICOLE: A TERRIFYING TORNADO, IMALLORY LANE CAUGHT UP WITH DANREPORTER: THEY WILL NOT.WE KNOCKED ON DAN KRAWVIC’S DOORHE ASKED US WHAT TODAY’S DATEIT IS THE FIRST WARM SPRING DAY>> WE SEE A TORNADO PASSEDREPORTER: A STARK CONTRAST TOIT HAPPENED JUST AFTER 7:00 AT>> IT WAS VERY WEIRD BECAUSE YOUYOU COULD NOT SEE TREES YOUIT WAS JUST COMPLETELY BLACK.REPORTER: DAN KRAWIEC AND HISAND TOOK COVER IN THAT TINYTHEY GRABBED PILLOWS AND AHE SAYS IT ONLY TOOK TEN>> THE CHANGE IN PRESSURE.NOTHING LIKE BEING ON ANIT COMPLETELY LOCKED YOUR JAWS.YOUR EAR HURT SO BAD.THAT’S WHEN MY WIFE STARTEDREPORTER: AFTER THE TORNADO BLEWTHEY COULDN’T USE THE FRONT OR>> GOT UP ABOUT TWO COUP HOUSESIN MY WILDEST DREAMS, I NEVERREPORTER: THE ENTIRE SECONDTHEIR GARAGE COLLAPSED.THEY MADE IT OUT WITH ONLY THE>> I KNEW WE WERE LUCKY.WE WERE LUCKY THAT THE REST OFREPORTER: IT WOULD TAKE 10 LONG,KRAWIEC SAYS THEY WERE FILLED>> WE LIVED IN A LITTLEEVERYTHING WAS RENTED.INCLUDING FOUR FORKS AND FOURWE HAD TWO THINGS IN THE HOUSE-- OURS.IT WAS A LITTLE VASE AND AIT WAS HARD TO SIT THERE IN THATREPORTER: LOOKING BACK TODAY>> WE WERE REWARDED IN THE ENDREPORTER: THE KRAWIEC’S HOME ISTHEY’RE MOVING TO THE BEACH THISCOMING UP TONIGHT AT 5:00 HE’S

8 years later: Remembering an EF-3 tornado that tore through part of High Point

Eight years ago on Wednesday, an EF3 tornado tore through part of High Point, leaving a long trail of destruction in its path.

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Dan Krawiec lives in the Hampton Park neighborhood off of Johnson Street. His home was one of 16 condemned in the neighborhood after the storm.

Experts told Krawiec that winds of up to 155 miles per hour ripped his home apart while he and his wife crouched together in a small closet underneath a staircase.

Krawiec and his wife said it took them about 10 months to rebuild after the tornado. The entire second floor of their home was destroyed. He still keeps a notebook filled with pictures he took of the damage. It’s something he doesn’t look at often but when he does, he’s reminded of the struggle and frustration that goes into trying to find normalcy again.

“We lived in an apartment and everything was rented, including four forks and four plates. We had two things in the house that were ours, a little vase and a picture of our sons,” he said. “It was hard to sit there in that apartment and think that 56 years of your life was just those two things sitting on the mantle. Things get better and there is light at the end of the tunnel, but it’s a very narrow tunnel and you will struggle.”

Krawiec recommends taking pictures of everything in your home now ahead of tornado season, which will help when dealing with insurance companies in the future. He also suggests having a bag handy that you can throw your most important belongings in, like cell phones, wallets and jewelry.

“When this happens, your belongings are spread all over the place, you have no idea what you own. The insurance company is only going to pay your for what you can prove. Our stuff was spread as far as, all the way out to Skeet Club Road, stuff was found and returned,” Krawiec said. “You need to have good records because they’re going to ask you when you purchased it, where you purchased it, how much you paid for it. You need to have good records. If you don’t have those, you’re not going to get the value you need to put your life back together.”